Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1887-10-29


meeting there. Schwab was the only
German speaker present, and the
record shows that he went to Deer
ing (about five miles distant from
the HaymarkeD and that he was
there at the time of the explosion of
the bomb. Thompson's testimony
to the effect that he had "shadowed"
Spies and Schwab at the lIaymarket,
and had heard them talking about
"pistols' and "police" was clearly a
tissue of falsehoods. 1t was clearly |
proven that Schwab was rot present
at that time.
Next came a messenger from the
Haymarket to the American group
meeting requesting that Parsons and
Fielden 60 over at once to speak to
the crowd there assembled, and they
went. Parsons spoke first and was
followed by Fielden. After the lat
ter had been speaking about twenty
minutes heavy black cloud came
up and it began TO look like rain.
Seeing this, and that the people were
fast leaving the meeting, Parsons in
terrupted the speaker long enough
to call attention to the fact, and sug
gested that they adjourn to Zepf's
Hall. Fielden, however, declared
that was unnecessary, as he had but
a few more words to say, and then
they would all 90 home. Then it
was that the detective who was prob
ably aware of Bonfeld's intentions,
hurried over to the station house and
informed his chief of the proposed
adjournment of the meeting. Then
Bonfeld hurried his $50 bluc-coats
to the meeting with the evident in
tention of "doing up the Socialists
remaining. That the meeting was a
peaceable in character there IS abund-
ant and overwhelming testimony to
to prove. Such witnesses as Mayer
Harrison, Simonson, Ferguson, DIR.
Taylor and Henry Schultz stand to-
day unimpeached. Mayor Harrison
not only teetifed as to the peaceable
character of the meeting, but told
how he went over to the Desplains
street station and informed Bonfeld
of the fact, ordering the latter to dis
miss his men. TO this Bontield
himself replied that his detectives
had also reported the meeting peace
able to him; yet, Notwithstanding
this, Mayor Harrison had no sooner
/, left the station than he ordered his
men forward to disperse the meet
ing.
According to the supreme court
the police marched in regular order,
with their hands down, clubs in
their belts and pistols in their pock-
ets," leaving the impression that
they walked leisurely down to the
> meeting as # nothing was about to
) happen. How different is the testi-
mony of witnesses who witnessed
their descent upol the meeting.
According to one witness { (Ferguson),
Q 81 saw the police rush out from the
station in body; they achr1ed into
= the street and came down :'ery rapld
t 1y toward us; the gentleman in com
G mand of the police was swinging hls
s arms and told them to hurry up
Y Another witness declared, "We sud
0 denly saw a number of policemen
It rush out ont Of the alley that lee
d down to the police station
o and they were so impetuous that one
O of the lieutenants ra'
r five or six feet in advance of his col
b umn and was shouting and telling
c them to hurry up; and rallying then
e as it were to advance quicker thar
J, they were doing" One witness de
e clared the police had their pistols IL
their hands when they advanced
l. upon the meeting. Read the follow
it ing significant incident One Hollo
V way, an expressman, was standing
d near the Desplains street station, ,an'
l. was told by someone connected there
lie with that before twelve O'Clock tina
night blood would flow freely, 0
,. words to that effect. This testlmon,
,r was ruled out of order by Judg
lie Gary.
" But more significant still is th
d testimony of Mr.. Simonson, an eA
es emplary Christian gentleman an
r philanthropist, who had held a con
D yersation with Bonield on that even